Dry cleaning apparatus



May 27, 1952 Filed June 2, 1948 J. LONGMUIR DRY CLEANING APPARATUS '5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Alb/wry.

May 27, 1952 Filed June .2, 1948 J. LONGMUIR DRY CLEANING APPARATUS I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 1952 J. LONGMUIR 2,598,571

DRY CLEANING APPARATUS Filed June 2, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor l l l F cfmasLo Patented May 27, 1952 DRY CLEANING APPARATUS James Longmuir, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Application June 2, 1948, Serial No. 30,527 In Australia June 13, 1947 1 Claim.

This invention relates to apparatus for dry cleaning clothes and the like, and particularly to apparatus of the type consisting of an upright cylindrical chamber associated with a horizontal platen, spotting board or table and having a plurality of valves controlled by foot pedals for the purpose of supplying Wet or dry steam, hot water condensed from the steam, or hot air, as required, to the garment or article being treated. In apparatus of the kind referred to the arrangement of the valves and the construction of the apparatus generally is such that considerable time is involved in dismantling it for repairs and maintenance, in effecting the renewal of parts and in re-assembling.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved. apparatus wherein the various parts are accessible and easily and quickly dismantled for repairs and maintenance and re-assembled without difficulty. The invention also has for its object to provide control valves which do not require dismantling of the apparatus before they become accessible and which reduce the spare parts required. In apparatus of the kind referred to, further, a screen or filter is provided through which the condensate or water condensed from the steam passes. In prior apparatus this screen has been inaccessible and diificult to remove. Another object of the present invention is to provide for the easy removal of the condensate screen, when necessary. Still further, the condensate or water jet of the apparatus has been located, hitherto, within the cylindrical steam chamber of the machine necessitating the dismantling of the apparatus should the jet require attention. Another object of the invention is to provide a water jet which may be quickly and easily removed and cleaned, renewed or otherwise attended to without dismantling other parts or displacing them to any material extent.

According to the invention the general arrangement of the dry cleaning machine may remain substantially as at present, i. e., the upright cylindrical steam chamber, foot pedals and spotting board are functionally unaffected, but in lieu of the existing arrangement of valves a valve unit is removably fitted to the top of the chamber and contains separate but structurally similar valves in appropriate communication with the cylindrical chamber and in communication With a com- -mn passage in the unit, terminating in the operators hand gun. The valves are all removable externally of the apparatus without difficulty and are operated by a foot pedal, and the condensate screen also may be removed without difiiculty externally of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional plan of a valve box, taken on line AA, Figure 3;

Figure 3 is an enlarged part sectional elevation of the steam chamber, valve box and appurtenant parts of an apparatus according to the invention;

Figure 4 is a cross section of the apparatus seen in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged part sectional elevation of a steam control valve according to the invention;

Figure 6 is an enlarged part sectional elevation of a hot air valve according to the invention;

Figure 7 is an enlarged part sectional elevation of a water control valve according to the invention;

Figure 8 is an enlarged part sectional elevation of a modified water control valve, and

Figure 9 is an enlarged sectional elevation of a condensate water tube used in conjunction with the water control valve.

The inventionincludes a base plate 2 having an upstanding framework 3 equipped at one side of its upper end with a hinge pin 4 having a clamping hand nut 5. Hinged to the pin 4 is a top structure 6 having a front tray 1 and a rear tray 8 for the use of the operator. The structure 6 is retained closed or secured against inadvertance by an appropriate hand locking nut 9. Below the structure 6 and outstanding from the framework 3 is a platen l0 adapted to receive the garment to be cleaned.

Upstanding from the base 2, within the framework 3, is a cylindrical steam chamber I I having a steam inlet l2 and a steam outlet l3. The latter may lead to an appropriate steam trap. The chamber II also is provided with a drain plug l4.

Within the steam chamber II is an upright hot air chamber l5 having an air inlet [6 connecting with an appropriate compressor and an air delivery pipe I! communicating through the valve box hereinafter described with an appropriate hand gun also hereinafter described.

Removably mounted upon the top of the steam chamber II is a valve box I8 having therein a minor steam chamber l9, a minor water chamber 20 and a minor air chamber 2| all of which communicate with a common delivery passage 22 terminating in a hose pipe or flexible connection 23 equipped with any suitable hand gun 2 3. Mounted in the bottom of the minor steam chamber I9 is a removable steam jet 25. The use of I claim:

Dry cleaning apparatus comprising an upright cylindrical steam chamber having a hot air chamber and a removable hot water tube mounted therein, a valve box removably mounted upon the steam chamber, said box having formed therein a'delivery passage and a minor steam chamber, a minor hot air chamber and a minor hot water chamber communicating respectively with the cylindrical steam chamber, the hot air chamber and the hot water tube therein and with the delivery passage, a removable steam jet mounted in the bottom of the minor steam chamher, a removable steam control valve mounted in the minor steam chamber, a removable hot air control valve mounted in the minor hot air chamber, a removable hot water control valve mounted in the minor hot water chamber, each of the valves upstanding above the valve box and being removable externally thereof, a hand gun communicating with the delivery passage, and a single removable rocker lever mounted upon the box and having a plurality of adjustable tappets to engage the valves and actuate them to supply dry or wet steam or hot air to the hand gun through the delivery passage, as desired.

JAMES LONGMUIR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,696,414 Roberts Dec. 25, 1928 2,279,984 Goodwin Apr. 14, 1942 2,340,832 Damme Feb. 1, 1944 2,346,821 Cissell Apr. 18, 1944 2,363,956 Glover Nov. 28, 1944 2,391,663 Weber Dec. 25, 1945 2,437,478 Pickett Mar. 9, 1948 2,455,756 Glover Dec. '7, 1948 

